Coupler yoke connection



J. F. ocoNNoR COUPLER YOKE CONNECTION Filed April 27, 1928 the railway draft ri Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF

PATENT' oFFicE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WaH. MINER, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION-OE' DELAWARE COUPLER 'YOKE CONNECTION Application led April 27,

`unequal wear of the key'slots ofthe draft sillswand also preventing wear of lthe key connection with the coupler shank, wherein means is provided for limiting the lateral swinging movement of the coupler.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for` attaching the coupler of a railway draft rigging'to the standard' type of U-shaped yoke member, including a coupler key engaging within the usual key receiving slots of the yoke arms, wherein the coupler shank is swiveled to the couplerV key and a pressure-transmitting block held out of con- -tact when thebutt end of-the coupler shank is anchored to the key and movable there- Awith, and is interposed between the-coupler shankand the usual front follower block of gging and has flat bearingengagement therewith, whereby wear of the follower block and the coupler shank butt i is eliminated. y

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.v y

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of a portion of the railway draft rigging at one endof the'car,`illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. And Figure 2 is a longitudinal, horizontal, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of'Figure 1.

In said drawings,lO--1O indicate the channel-shaped center or draft sills oftherailway At the outer end of the` draft sillsis provided the usual combined striking casting and carry iron 11, which has a central opening accommodating the shank of the coupler. Cheek plates 12- 12 are secured to the draft sills and the striking casting and sills are connected tothe usual end sill, which is designated by 13.

192s. serial No. 273,200.

A yoke member 14 of standard type is disposed between the draft sills, the same being of the U-shaped form and having spaced side arms, the front end portions of which are shown. the usual type is disposed between the arms of the yoke and has the usual key 16 extending therethrough'.

The cheek plates are provided with the usual key receiving slots 17 and 18, the slots .r

17 kcl3-operating with the coupler key and the slots 18 co-operating with the key 16 of the follower. block. As shown inv the present instance, the key 16 is fixed to the block 15 and has movement inthe slots 18 inwardly of the draft rigging. The key slots 17, which are disposed at the forward ends of the cheek plates, are of such a length as to permit movement of the coupler y key in both buff and draft.

A wear plate 19 is supported on the bottom section of the combined striking casting and carry iron 11 and. slidingly supports the shank of the coupler. As shown, the wear plate 19 has down-turned ianges at the front and rear4 ends thereof, which overhang the carry iron section of themember 11.

In carrying out my invention, I provide, broadly, a coupler A; a coupler key B a pressure-transmitting member C; and a pair of if bearing blocks D, which (zo-operate with the ,coupler key and provide for a swiveled connection thereof with the coupler shank.

The coupler A is of the usual type and has the shank thereof provided with a transverse opening-20, having the front and rear end l walls thereof curved to provide bearing seats 21 21. The opening 2O is adapted to accommodate the couplerkey B and the bearing blocks D--D and, as most clearly shown in Vldigure l, is of considerably greater width Aand height than the coupler key. The opposite side faces of thecoupler shank are tapered, as indicated at 22, for a purpose here- 9 Theerear end portion inafter pointed out. of the coupler shank is provided with a spherical surface 23 for a purpose hereinafter pointed out. y I Y The bearing blocksD-D are disposed in front andrin back ofthe coupler key B and Afront follower block l5 of .z

o Ll

are seated on the curved bearing surfaces 21 of the coupler shank. The two blocks D are of similar design, each having an outer curved bearing surface 24 which co-operates with the corresponding curved bearing surface 21 of the coupler shank. On the inner side, each block is slotted, as indicated at 25, to receive the corresponding edge portion of the coupler key B. As shown, the blocks D are of such a height vertically as to closely lit the opening 20 in the coupler shank.

It will be evident that the coupler is thus mounted on the coupler key 'for lateral swiveling movement and that relative longitudinal movement of the coupler with respect to the key is prevented, these two parts always movin;r in unison in both buff and draft.

The pressure-transmitting member C is in the forni of a casting having a transverse rear end section and forwardly projecting, spaced, integral arms 26-26. The end section 35 of the casting bears directly on the flat front end face of the front main follower block l5. riChe inner face of Jche transverse end section 35 is cut away, as indicated at 27, so as to clear the butt end of the coupler shank in its swinging movement. The side arms 2G of the pressure-transmitting member C embrace the coupler shank, and the inner walls of said arms are longitudinally tapered,

Y as indicated at 28, to permit rocking or swinging movement of the coupler shank and also to act as abutment or stop means 'for limiting 'the lateral swinging movement of said shank. The arms 26 are provided with aligned key receiving slots 29-29 in which the coupler key B tightly fits, so that the pressure-transmitting member will at all times move in unison with the coupler. The

parts are so 1iro iortioned that the butt end n of the coupler is spaced an appreciable distance from the inner face of the end section 35 of the member C, thus permitting the required amount of lateral swinging movement of the coupler without contact of the butt end of the shank of the coupler with the section 85. lt will be evident that the full force in buliing action is thus transmitted directly through the coupler key B to the pressure-transmittiiig member C and the main front follower lock 15. The couf pler key B is anchored to the arms of the yoke member 1l in the usual manner, the arms beingprovided with key receiving slots 31 in which the key works, 'the slots being of such be forced inwardly, thereby forcing the pressure-transmitting member C inwardly in unison therewith and forcing the front follower block 15 rearwardly also. The shock absorbing mechanism, not shown, which is disposed in the yoke, is compressed between the follower block 15 and the rear end section of the yoke. When cars are operated on a curved track, lateral swinging adjustment of the coupler must be provided for and this is accomplished by the swiveled connection provided between the coupler shank and the key B. As the shank of the coupler is swung to either side, the same swivels on the bearing surfaces of the blocks D, without effecting any angular movement of the coupler key B. lnasmuch as the coupler key B does not swing, the pressure-transmitting block C does not have any rocking movement on the follower block 15, thus preventing wear of the follower block and also assuring proper alignment of the parts with the shock absorbing means of the railway draft rigging. The lateral swinging movement of the-coupler A, with respect to the block or pressure-transmitting member C, is limited inboth directions by engagement with the tapered faces 28 on the side arms of the member C. In this connection, it is pointed out that the tapered bearing surfaces of the coupler shank and the-tapered bearing surfaces of the side arms of the member U normally have contact at the central portion of the saine, thereby preventing lateral sliding movement of the coupler with respect to the member C.V Itis also vpointed out that appreciable amount of relative lateral movement between these parts.

Duriiiga draft action, the coupler A will be pulled outwardly, thereby pulling the key B outwardly also. The key B acts to pull the yoke 14 forwardly, thereby compressing the friction shock absorbing means between the inner endof the yoke and the front main follower block 15, which is held stationary by the key 16. During this action, thefmember C will be pulled forwardly with the coupler key B and away from the front follower block 15. During a draft action, lateral swinging movement of the coupler is permitted in the saine manner as described in connection wit-h the bufling action and the lateral movement of the coupler is limited in the same manner.

From the preceding description, taken in Vconnection with the drawings, it will be evident that I have provided very simple and efficient means for permitting angular movement of the coupler, without producing wear Y of the butt end of the coupler shank and of the coupler key and the key receiving slots,

the principal wear due to the lateral swinging movement of the coupler being taken by the curved bearing surfaces of the bearing blocks,

which may be readily replaced when so badly Worn as to require renewal.

Nhile I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a coupler connection for railway draft riggings, including a yoke member and a front follower block, the combination with a coupler; of a pressure-transmitting member having a rear section spaced from the coupler butt, said section having a bearing surface cooperating with the front follower block; and means for swiveling said coupler to said pressure transmitting member and yoke, including a key extending through the coupler shank, pressure transmitting member and yoke and pivot bearing means between the key and coupler shank holding said key against longitudinal movement relative to the coupler shank, said key being fixed to said pressure'transmitting member against movement lengthwise with respect to the same.

2. In a coupler connection for railway draft ri ggings, including a yoke member and a front follower block, said yoke having spaced arms receiving the shank of the coupler therebetween and said arms being lorovided with alined coupler key receiving slots, the combination with a pressure-transmitting block having bearing engagement with the follower block, spaced from the coupler butt, and having spaced arms embracing the counler shank said arms having alined coupler key slot-s therein; of a coupler key extending through the slots of the arms of the pressure-A transmitting block and yoke,l and closely fitting the slots in the arms of the block to hold the latter and the key against relative movement lengthwise of the mechanism, said key having a swiveled connection with said shankV of the coupler.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of April, 192s.

JOI-IN F. OCONNOR. 

